i've heard of game art degrees at norwich and DMU, though i would have thought that they would incorporate things like model work and animation as concept art is such a specific subject that no degree is going to be purely based around it. you should also take note (though i'm sure you know this already) that you can't just be a concept artist as a career, you would need to be more broad than that or you just wouldn't be able to get enough work!

i would say a games art degree would go a lot more into the subject, but if you really hate the idea of the more technical side of things then maybe illustration would be better for you - you wouldn't really be learning about anything to do with concept art itself but it's definitely something that you could go into afterwards. it also might be a good idea to look around for short courses that are slightly more relevant - central st martins in particular has hundreds, i went on one last summer and it was amazing! for the amount i learned it was well worth the money, and it's something to add to the resumé.

Sorry to disagree with you, but there are full time concept art positions in the games industry (it's a job I've done myself), but there are not many of them - you only need one or two concept artists per 50 or so 3D Games Artists, and they have to be incredibly talented (and tragically they usually get paid much less than the 3D chaps). If you want to be a concept artist you'll definitely need to switch to digital media - Photoshop is the main package to work in for digital painting - traditional painting is too slow to use in a commercial field. I don't know of a concept art only degree (there is a Masters at Teesside in it, no idea what it's like) but the employment chances from a super specialist course would be extremely limited because the job market is tiny, and you need to be incredibly talented at anatomy, character design, environment design, realism, caricatures, colour theory, composition, perspective etc and you will find that you will be up against the French students, who are taught in illustration courses to a much stronger technical level than in the UK... You don't need a degree to become a concept artist, you just need talent and hardcore 19th century artskills It's very rare for a games company to hire a graduate to be a concept artist, because the position is extremely important - the concept artist actually has a wide degree of creative control (well wider than anyone else on the project anyway) and their work gets shown to the client to get them to put up the money to fund the game development - it also has to keep the people with money happy until they can actually see a working version of the game. Having experience of the 3D digital side of the industry is a major bonus because you will be aware of the things to not design into the character / environments that will cause technical headaches for the 3D people later. Many of the concept artists I've known or worked with have started off in the 3D side of Games Art and then got themselves promoted internally in a company to a concept position (I did this myself) and a company is much more likely to trust you to do this if they've already had you work for them in a different department for a year or so beforehand (and there are lots more junior 3D artist positiions than there are junior concept art positions). SO you may find that a 3D Games Art course is a better starting point - all the decent ones will offer 2D training as well as 3D. There are very few good ones in the UK though...

Illustration degrees rarely train students to the technical level required for concept art (in the UK). France would definitely be a better bet in that area. Either that or the Atelier system that exists in America. Have a look around the ConceptArt forum; there's a lot of good advice to be found there for places to study, but I think it's a field with a huge amount of wannabees and only a tiny fraction of actual practitioners. Good luck!

I am actually a wannabee on this field, even though I graduated from an access course in game design and 3d animation, I still see myself as the wannabee.
I don't know whether I should leave it or go for it and start practicing for real, I mean I cant find anything else I want to do and its all just way too complicated, all i know is that when I think of conecpt art for games and 3d it stimulates my brain and I love it. if I dont do this I dont think ill find any career in life.

On a more serious level though, do you guys know any GOOD universities in London that do Games Art and 3D degrees? I kinda got myself into an Animation course at Westminster and I did not enjoy it as much, not even a little. I liked the fact that we were taught different aspects of animation but I don't think I want to be creating cartoons if that makes sense.
So that's a year gone, now I have to find a course again which I cant afford to fail again, so what do you guys suggest?
I don't think applying for a completely different course would be sensible enough.

(Original post by matadorz)
On a more serious level though, do you guys know any GOOD universities in London that do Games Art and 3D degrees? I kinda got myself into an Animation course at Westminster and I did not enjoy it as much, not even a little. I liked the fact that we were taught different aspects of animation but I don't think I want to be creating cartoons if that makes sense.
So that's a year gone, now I have to find a course again which I cant afford to fail again, so what do you guys suggest?
I don't think applying for a completely different course would be sensible enough.

(Original post by matadorz)
On a more serious level though, do you guys know any GOOD universities in London that do Games Art and 3D degrees? I kinda got myself into an Animation course at Westminster and I did not enjoy it as much, not even a little. I liked the fact that we were taught different aspects of animation but I don't think I want to be creating cartoons if that makes sense.
So that's a year gone, now I have to find a course again which I cant afford to fail again, so what do you guys suggest?
I don't think applying for a completely different course would be sensible enough.

Your answers are appreciated.

In London? no... outside London yes Either go with the list that AlphaDog0127 suggested, or if it helps I'd recommend (for Games Art) either Abertay in Scotland, De Montfort in Leicester or (surprise, surprise) the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield (that's about 23 minutes from Kings Cross by train)

For 3D Animation I would say Bournemouth NCCA, Bournemouth AUB or the University of Hertfordshire.

Can I recommend if you don't already know an amazing concept artist for games and movies, called Feng zhu his podcasts and youtube videos are an amazing source if you are seriously looking to get involved in the world of concept artist, he has his own school teaching mainly for the games and movies. All the best in your future career.

Hello, Yes I also been trying to find concept art courses in London. I manage talk to a few concept artist by email, and one of them really inspired me.
In other words she said that as long as you can express your self with art by drawing from imagination or drawing from a based idea, and that you are familiar with the software to make digital art (Photoshop,Sketchbook pro..) you can make it as a Concept artist even if you are 150 year old.

Now I am more relaxed to achieve my goal without stressing of getting old. There is always competition but the advantage is that this particular Job is not very popular that's why there is not a lot of Colleges-University that offer courses related. So my advice is to build confidence about your art and learn with no limits about drawing, painting, colours, shades... and then when the times come and you have enough to make a portfolio full of master pieces you then can apply for jobs and hopefully get. Hope that it was helpful. Just know that even if you are an art Genius you will never end learning.

(Original post by Neax.Xill)
Hello, Yes I also been trying to find concept art courses in London. I manage talk to a few concept artist by email, and one of them really inspired me.
In other words she said that as long as you can express your self with art by drawing from imagination or drawing from a based idea, and that you are familiar with the software to make digital art (Photoshop,Sketchbook pro..) you can make it as a Concept artist even if you are 150 year old.

Now I am more relaxed to achieve my goal without stressing of getting old. There is always competition but the advantage is that this particular Job is not very popular that's why there is not a lot of Colleges-University that offer courses related. So my advice is to build confidence about your art and learn with no limits about drawing, painting, colours, shades... and then when the times come and you have enough to make a portfolio full of master pieces you then can apply for jobs and hopefully get. Hope that it was helpful. Just know that even if you are an art Genius you will never end learning.

So you don't have to be extremely good at original drawing and be a top level concept artist, as long as you have enough experience at knowledge to become a concept artist, because I have applied for the Teesside University for the Concept art course, as I want to pursue a career in concept art, but if I graduate I will then gain more experience by practising more in creative drawing and digital art, over a long period of time to build up a portfolio in order get a job in this.

But I'm just worried that the chance of getting in gaming industry as a digital artist will be low, because I definitely do not want to have a role as a 3d artist. Anything involving 3ds max I will pass, as I can't stand 3dmax, it's just too over technical for me. I mean am quite good at it but Its nothing like photoshop or anything similar.

Anyway was the person that you emailed saying that you don't have to be amazing as long as you have the required skills and plenty of experience and are good with creativity, then will most likely get in, sorry for the long read?

I am having the same problem. I love concept art and would love to do it as a career. The problem is there just isn't a course for it inside the uk. If you got the dollar there is Entertainment Design at Art School Pasadena. Or also there is Entertainment design at Feng Zhu Design School in Singapore. Both of which look really cool. However as someone who cannot afford to study outside the uk I'm really struggling. I'm currently at the University of Hertfordshire doing animation and it's a course I would highly recommend. It's not concept art though (I believe other animation/games art courses are the same on this. The time is mostly spent learning 3D Software) I've been looking at illustration courses but in the promoted student work, there is no imaginative realism, nor any work complying to popular game/film styles. There is a new course at Teeside that is for concept art. The work on there webpage is not promising though. I've sent an email to see if they have more work that i can look at. Hopefully there will be some of a higher standard.

If there are illustration courses that do more, imaginative realism i'd love to know.

To anyone else who wants to be a concept artist. I'd have to say that it's going to require a lot of self motivated work outside of your course no matter the course. Also good luck!

This sounds like the perfect job for me becuase I have been using photoshop for a very long time, and drawing from imagination, as well having an interests in the technical side of it. But there hardly any degrees in it? Maybe I should just get an internship instead. If anyone can help it'll be greatly appreciated.